Media and Adolescent Dev’t

Issues to Consider  Are adolescents uniquely susceptible to influence of TV and other media?  Is TV industry serving public’s best interest? Do the networks and entertainment industry cater to popular tastes? Or do they create the demand?

How do adolescents learn from TV? Overview of major theories F Social Learning Theory F Cognitive Association Theory F Cognitive Scripting F Cultivation Hypothesis F Displacement Effect F Catharsis Theory

Important to Appreciate... F Most effects indirect, subtle, and cumulative F Individual differences in vulnerability F Differences between children and adolescents

F Identity F Gender F Ethnic Identity F Sexuality F Drugs and Alcohol F Body Image F Diet

Violence Most reviews conclude that media violence: F facilitates aggressive and antisocial behavior F desensitizes viewers to violence F increases viewers perception that they live in a mean and dangerous world

Factors that increase the likelihood of real-life violence resulting from media viewed violence: 1. rewarding the aggressor 2. portrayal of violence as justifiable 3. depiction of violence without consequences 4. real-life violence 5. uncriticized violence 6. individual differences

Implications F Quality of programming for teens F Nature and rules of advertising F Increased use of TV for health and prosocial purposes

Media Literacy H the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a variety of forms Should we teach adolescents to be more critical media consumers?

Principles of Media Literacy §Media are representations how the media TALK TO and ABOUT teens §Media representations have social effects distinguish between CONTENT and CONTEXT of consumption §Audiences negotiate meaning what media DOES to teens & what teens DO WITH media §Media has commercial purposes what are teens being “sold”?